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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The stockings are up, the lights are twinkling, and your shopping cart—both online and physical—is probably overflowing with gifts for loved ones. 

But while you’re busy hunting for deals on Black Friday or ordering those last-minute stocking stuffers, scammers are busy too. Their favorite gift to themselves? Your personal information or hard-earned cash.

Let’s talk about a seasonal scam that thrives at this time of year: postal and delivery fraud.

The Grinch in Your Inbox (or Text Messages)

Picture this: you’re waiting on a delivery for that perfect gift you snagged online. Suddenly, you receive a text message from “USPS” or “Royal Mail.” 

It claims you owe a small fee for customs clearance, or that a delivery couldn’t be made due to unpaid shipping costs. The message conveniently includes a link to “resolve the issue.”

Sound familiar? This is how scammers exploit your holiday cheer and the delivery chaos that accompanies it. These scams work well during the festive season for a few reasons:

1. Increased Online Shopping: With Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas deals flooding your inbox, it’s common to lose track of what you’ve ordered and when it’s arriving.
2. Urgency: Scammers know how to pull on your festive heartstrings. “Pay this fee or your package won’t arrive before Christmas!” Who wants to ruin the holiday spirit over a small fee?
3. Believable Messaging: Fake texts and emails are designed to mimic legitimate organizations like USPS, Royal Mail, or other postal services. They use real logos and official-sounding language to gain your trust.

How Do These Scams Work?

Once you click on the link, you’re taken to a fake website that looks just like the real thing. There, you’re asked to enter sensitive details like your credit card information, home address, or even your phone number. From there, the scammers can:

• Steal your money: You’re charged the “fee,” but the parcel doesn’t exist.
• Harvest your information: Your data could be sold to other fraudsters or used for identity theft.
• Install malware: Some links may prompt you to download harmful software that compromises your device.

How to Stay Scam-Free This Christmas

Luckily, you don’t need to play detective with every text message or email you receive. Here are some quick tips to keep your holiday deliveries scam-free:

• Think before you click: Legitimate delivery companies won’t ask for fees or personal information via text message. When in doubt, visit their official website directly.
• Check the details: Scam messages often come from random numbers or email addresses. Look for typos, generic greetings like “Dear Customer,” or odd formatting.
• Use TotalAV WebShield: TotalAV’s WebShield blocks malicious websites, so even if you accidentally click a suspicious link, we’ve got your back.

A New Feature to Brighten Your Festive Season

We’re excited to announce a new feature in TotalAV for iPhone: our SMS Spam Blocker! It automatically detects and blocks scam text messages before they have a chance to ruin your holiday. Whether it’s fake delivery fees, phishing attempts, or other spam, you can enjoy your holiday shopping without the fear of falling for a scam.

So, while you’re decking the halls and sipping on mulled wine, let TotalAV handle the online threats. From all of us at TotalAV, have a merry—and scam-free—Christmas!